War and Paradise
by MoMo23
Summary: Songfic: Today the sky was grey with melancholy, but through the rain filled clouds, a bit of sunshine was peeking through.
1. Chapter One

This is my first time in some years that I have decided to upload a new story. I was inspired by a song while reading Harry potter Potter and the Half Blood Prince. I thought this one particular song would pair nicely with little fic. So let's dive in.

Chapter One

The sky was grey. Like the heavens knew of the melancholy that the day was experiencing. Today was a most peculiar day.

Harry sat upon his desk, head buried in a file on an unusual circumstance. "Guard detail", he reads aloud. Bemusement brushing his face, his brows furrowed in a scowl. He was on guard duty.

"For none other than Draco Malfoy himself". Harry looks up from his file at the sudden appearance of his best friend, and partner, Ron Weasley. "Honestly mate, what did you do to piss off Robards this time?" Ron asks, making his way to his desk and plopping himself down into his chair, leaning back to get comfortable.

Being an Auror for two years now, Harry's had his fair share of running into a brick wall, by the name of Robards. If there is any red tape around a case, it was put there by the big man himself. The leading Auror in the Ministry for Magic was a bit of an ass. But to be fair Harry wasn't one to always follow the rules. Robards knew that in order to keep the world famous Harry Potter in line, he had to make sure Harry did things by the book and not his own interpretation of it. So after illegally spying on a suspect in a case involving a muggle murder, Harry was to be assigned guard duty, as a way of keeping him line. If there is one thing an Auror hates, it's guard duty.

Being on guard duty means that the Auror has to check in constantly with his superior before making any moves with his subject. It was a way of keeping him in his place. But of all the people in the world to be assigned to guard, it had to be Draco Malfoy. "THE Draco Malfoy". His nemesis. His foil, the man who was the bane of Harry's very existence at Hogwarts.

Harry finds himself laughing at the thought. A very deep rumble escaping his lips. He places his hand to chest, to sort of calm himself.

"Robards must be out his mind!", Harry exclaims. Ron simply shakes his head at his friends madness.

"Me? Guarding Malfoy? That git? Robards must really hate me."

Ron leans further back into his chair, looking at Harry with wide eyes. His best mate is a madman. Being best friends with Harry since they were eleven, and his partner since they became Aurors, made Ron very intuitive to his behavior. Knowing Harry, he would barge into Robards office and demand to be taken off the case, only for Robards to remind Harry of his sworn oath. And like clockwork Harry rises from his desk, slamming the file onto the surface. Ron pulls out a file from his own cabinet as he hears the door open. Without looking up he buries his face into the details of the case he has to work.

Harry storms out of the office, making a b-line for the head office, just a right turn down a hallway. The door is open. And the room is silent. "Hello?", Harry calls out to the dim lit room. No answer, but there is an envelope on the desk, addressed to Harry, he picks it up with a roll of his eyes. Whenever Robards doesn't want to talk to his members, he leaves a note:

_Harry, at this point you have received your assignment. You are to protect Draco Malfoy during the trial of his father, Lucius Malfoy. Upholding your oath, you are to protect and serve your community without prejudice. I believe this assignment will do you good._

_Best of luck,_

_Robards_

With another roll of his eyes and a groan, "Why me? What does he mean 'it'll do me good?', he asks himself out loud. He drops the letter back onto the desk. "Just gonna pretend I didn't read it". He walked out the room, leaving the door open, and headed back to his office.

"Any luck with convincing Robards to take you off the detail?", Ron asks him.

"In a matter only he can convey, he left me a note. And no". Harry crashes into his chair, leaning far back so he can stare at the ceiling. "Wanna trade assignments"? The laugh escaping Ron's chest was more than enough of an answer.

"Putting Malfoy and me anywhere near each other is sure way for me to kill him. And as much as it'll be gratifying, I like my job more. And anyways, this case seems rather open and shut." Ron holds up his file he's been skimming over, "There haven't been much going on in the wizarding world as of late. Aside from helping muggle police on some difficult cases, it's all quite", Ron shrugs.

Taking his glasses from his face, Harry presses his fingers into the bridge of nose, trying to apply pressure to relieve the ensuing headache. He begins to wonder what exactly Robards meant when he wrote "It'll be good for you". Harry has been a little uptight these past few weeks. After finding out that a death eater had escaped Azkaban, the whole wizarding world was on edge. Upon finding out that the death eater was non other than Lucius Malfoy, Harry asked to be put on the case, but Robards took the lead. The Minister for Magic Shacklebolt wanted to make sure there would be no way Lucius Malfoy escaped from their custody. "I need my best and most experienced team on this case. Robards has been an Auror since after he left Hogwarts like you Harry, but Robards has a certain way of making sure prisoners do not escape that is required in this case", Shacklebolt had told Harry. "Besides, we can't have you on the case, we don't know if he'll come after you. We don't want to jeopardize our agents in trying to pursue Malfoy and try to protect you at the same time".

"But sir", Harry had tried to protest. "I can protect myself".

"That may be the case, but you have other matters to take care of".

Harry didn't want to sit back and do nothing, but Robards told him he'll be on desk duty for a year if he dare to interfere. It only took two days for Robards and Smith to track down Malfoy in a hideout in the Swiss mountains. He was brought into the department in a body bind hex. His hands behind his back and his mouth hexed shut. He looked ragged. His once bright silver hair, now dull and dirty. His face was no longer angular but sagged in the most odd of places, cuts adorning his cheeks and forehead. He looked like he had put up a fight, but not a scratch was seen on Robards or Smith.

"This time, he's not going anywhere". Robards had a devilish smile on his face. They took Malfoy off down a hallway that lead to the department of mysteries. He haven't been seen, until today, when he was being transferred to the courtrooms. He looked even more downtrouted than before. His hands were submerged in what looked like orbs made of water, but Harry later learned it was a material the Mysteries were testing, to see if they could rid a person of their magic. They couldn't fully test it until he was sentenced.

In three hours time, Harry had to intersect his subject. It was suggested they meet on neutral ground, in the muggle world. There , they surmised, no wizard should be able to attack him, not without fear of persecution. Coming back into the wizarding world would be the problem. Harry was prepared for his mission, but he wasn't prepared for the events that happened after meeting with Draco Malfoy. The sky was grey and full of melancholy. But in the little cracks of the rain filled clouds, there was just a peek of sunlight.


	2. Chapter Two

A/N: So hello there lovelies! Please feel free to read and leave a message or comment or review of things so far! I would love to get some feeedback! So before I continue with this chapter, let me introduce myself. My name is MoMo, and as I enjoy writing. I decided to try my hand at fanfiction a long while ago, as a way to channel my writing and improve on it. This my first fanfic of this pairing and content. I heard this somg one day while in the stockroom at work and I instantly thought of Harry and Draco, so I decided to try to put those concepts and thoughts down on paper. Well, enough of that. Here's Chapter Two.

_Ooh__Climb on board__We'll go slow and high tempo__Light and dark_

_Hold me hard and mellow_

Harry was waiting outside of a department store window. A mannequin wearing the latest muggle fashion was staring at him through glossy glass. Donned in a black suit with a crisp white shirt underneath with the first two buttons undone, he stares into the face of the mannequin, wandering how it was he came to be standing here. Just less than 3 hours ago that morning he got a strange assignment. "Robards really mad", Harry laughed to himself. But at that moment, Harry felt foolish. Staring back into the reflective window, Harry saw the scowl on his face.

After the end of the second wizarding war, Harry vowed he would do any and everything to protect people against terror. He wanted to be sure that history would never repeat itself, which is why he became an Auror. Ron had ran into their shared room at the Weasley shack one morning with a letter. "Harry!" he exclaimed, excitement dripping from his voice. "Ron, it's too early to be shouting", Harry buried his face into his pillow. "But Harry! We have been summoned to the Ministry… for training! Auror training!". At that moment Harry thought he was still dreaming. "yea right, Ron, and we're still in the Gryffindor dormitories", he let out sarcastically.

Ron pounced on the bed, on top of Harry. He pulled the blankets from his best mates face. Staring him in the eyes, with the brightest smile on his face. "I'm serious." Harry quickly sits up, pushing Ron off him in a swift brush of the blankets. "let me see". He holds his hand out for the letter.

_Dear Mr. Potter__We at the Ministry would like to extend an invitation to you for Auror training. Though you have not submitted an official application, you came highly recommended by the Minister himself. Your heroic journey during the second wizarding war had been taken into considerations with great strides. We look forward to seeing you in three days time at the department of defense.__Gawain Robards._

Baffled but excited, Harry stares at the letter unable to form words. "I got the same letter. In three days we will be training with the best wizards and witches in all England"! Ron clasped his hand on Harry's back, bringing him out of his trance. Harry looks at his best friend with a huge smile forming on his face. "I cant believe it! Well, actually, I can. It was about time" Harry laughs at his own indignation.

"Potter?" the sudden calling of his name by a masculine yet familiar voice brought Harry out of his head. He whips his head towards the direction of the call. Standing in front of him is a tall slender man in a black pinstriped fitted suit. A grey tie with a dragon clip adorned the mans neck. "Malfoy". Just saying those two syllables left a sour note in his mouth. This is the first time Harry has seen this tall platinum blonde brooding man in nearly seven years. Harry made it almost a mission of his to not read any clippings about the man in front of him. It was nearly impossible recently, with Malfoy constantly being in the papers for simply being the son of Lucius Malfoy, the death eater who escaped Azkaban.

Malfoy shifts his weight from one foot to the other as he places his hands in his trouser pockets, grey eyes boring holes into green ones. Harry couldn't help but notice how the little bit of sun peeking through the clouds was shining right into Malfoys eyes, making his iris' look like they were storm clouds. Harry ran his tongue over his lower lip, "Shall we get on with this then?"

_Pillow talk__My enemy, my ally__Prisoners__Then we're free, it's a thin line_

The trial should have been short and to the point. Malfoy only had to testify that he did not help his father escape from Azkaban. But a simple yes or no answer given under oath and the influence of veritaserum, drawled out into an inquiry of the young man's life. "Did you, Mr. Malfoy, take the dark mark as a sign of your allegiance to the Dark Lord Voldemort?" "While at Hogwarts, did you not try and fail to kill Albus Dumbledore"?

Harry stood in the shadows of the hall by the door, taking in the room. The trial wasn't open to the public, only to the courts and higher officials. Robards sat in the top row in the corner, his dark red robes blending into the sea of the black ones adorned by the wizengamot. Harry's eyes quickly finds Hermione's. She gives him a faint smile as her focus shifts back to Malfoy. Hermione sat on the Wizengamot as a prosecutor. She was making great strides to becoming a head judge. After Ron had become a Auror and completed his training, he convinced Hermione to put her fears aside and dive headfirst into her studies. Never one to get scared at a challenge, Hermione didn't think she had the capacity to change the wizarding world. But Ron had convinced her that the world was changing, and if S.P.E.W. wasn't a good enough example of the great things Hermione can accomplish if she put her mind to it, then he was a simple magician. She was a great advocate for the little people of the wizarding world, and the muggle world alike. She was trying to propose that the counsel reevaluate the statute of secrecy. She wholeheartedly believes that both worlds will benefit from the other, all you have to do is look at muggleborns. They are great examples of two worlds coming together.

Harry was brought out of his thoughts by the sudden movements of Lucius Malfoy. Who, until now, sat quietly in the center in the room. His hands still submerged in the glistening liquid. "Disappointment!", he yelled in Draco's direction. "All you bought was dissappointment! Wouldn't even open MY house to ME! Couldn't even help me get out here. Am I not your father? Or do you and your mother both want to see me fail?", Lucius growled.

"Father", Draco's voice was low, almost like a whisper. His brows furrowed in the center of his forehead. "Mother is dead". Confusion mirroring on both of their faces. And Harry's. When did Narcissa Malfoy pass? He didn't remember hearing about it, even if he did forgo reading the newspapers, he would've thought someone would've mentioned it, even for a brief moment. Harry's eyes moved across the room, from Hermione, to Robards, to Lucius Malfoy in the center of the room, before settling on Draco Malfoy. Grey eyes met his for a brief moment. Harry saw the pain that was brewing in those cloud like eyes. Lucius Malfoy is a delusional man, who couldn't remember that his wife was dead. And Draco Malfoy was now staring into the eyes that were similar to his in color. He was his father spitting image when Lucius was younger, Harry could tell. And that brief glance into those eyes made Harry realize that Draco Malfoys whole world was now shattered.

Draco Malfoy looked tired. Exhausted to be exact. His crisp tie now undone, and pristine hair now draping over his forehead. Harry sent a protronus to Robards that he was moving Draco back to Malfoy manner. Moving about the wizarding world after a trial of that magnitude was always hectic. Even though it wasn't as a big a deal as when all the Death Eaters were rounded up for trial, just the fact that one had the audacity to escape from Azkaban was enough to rile discomfort in the community. Sitting in his office down the hall, Harry sat at Ron's desk while Draco occupied his. Draco was racking his hands through his hair. He looked distraught, his eyes closed, not being able to focus on anything. The verdict: Lucius Malfoy was to be in the care of the Department of Mysteries for the remainder of his stay in Azkaban, which was life. The wizengamot allowed the experimentation of the Mysteries to continue until they were done with Lucius. Which if Harry wasn't mistaken based upon rumors of the department, meant death or horrible disfiguration. The Department of Mysteries are the only wizards in the world to be allowed to perform banished, outdated magic. How one gets selected into the department, no one knows.

"Malfoy?", Harry began, but was interrupted by the look on Draco's face. Just saying the name caused the young man to stir, in what looked like discomfort. "Draco, call me Draco". Harry leaned back in his chair. Contemplating. Was it disgust for his own last name or was Draco trying to get a little closer to him. Sure, they're time at Hogwarts weren't the best, but the world after Hogwarts had to keep going on. The wizarding community was not going to let terror cripple them any longer. People moved on with their lives, grew families, found jobs, expanded their global reach.

"Okay, Draco. Once Robards give the all clear, I'll take you back to the Manor". Draco absentmindedly nodded his head. It was a weird feeling brewing in Harry's chest. Draco looked small. Someone who normally had a boisterous personality, Draco looked really reserved. Maybe it was the trial or maybe it was being alone, it seemed for six years. It seemed as if Narcissa Malfoy died in an attack on Malfoy Manor by wizards not satisfied that she wasn't amongst those who were prosecuted. Harry didn't remember hearing about it because it wasn't front page news. And from what Harry heard from Hermione after she asked around, Draco paid quite a lot to make sure it wouldn't really be reported on. He wanted his life to be quite.

And looking at the small man now, with his hair distraught, and his eyes brewing storm clouds, Harry saw what the war seven years ago did to his nemesis. Harry realized that they were sitting in his office in complete silence. If they were still at Hogwarts, they would be throwing insults back and forth at each other. He accidentally let slips a chuckle.

"What's so funny Potter?", Draco bites.

Harry shook his head. "Nothing, just thinking about our time at Hogwarts". Harry let's a smile slip onto his lips. "Just thinking about how we wouldn't be able to sit in a room together without one of us casting a hex first". Harry saw the amusement slip onto Draco's face, he raised an eyebrow. "You're right", Draco agreed. "I would've bested you". Draco let out a small laugh, Harry thought it sounded like music. He shook his head at his thoughts and the high horse he saw Draco comfortably slip back on.

_Paradise (paradise), paradise, (paradise)__War zone (war zone), war zone (war zone)__Paradise (paradise), paradise, (paradise)__War zone (war zone), war zone (war zone)_


End file.
